NORTH  CAROLINA 


HICKORY 


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THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 
PRESENTED  BY 

S.  H.  Hobbs,  Jr. 

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NORTH  CAROLINA 


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A  Residence  Citig  of 
Commerce  and  Industry  in 
An  Agricultural  County  of 
lUonderful  Opportunity 


This  booklet  is  issued  with  the 
view  to  answering  in  a  truthful 
and  concise  manner  some  of 
the  questions  usually  asked  by 
those  seeking  a  new  location  in 

which  to  live  and  do  business 

and 

in  an  endeavor  to  present  in 
words  and  pictures  a  few  of  the 
advantages  offered  by  Hickory 
and  Catawba  County  to  the 
homeseeker,  the  merchant,  the 
manufacturer  and  the  farmer. 


HICKORY  CHAMBER  of  COMMERCE, 


HICKORY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.. 


HICKORY'S 
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Hickory  and  Catawba  County,  an  ideal  location  for 
those  seeking  new  fields  for  their  endeavors.  Some  of 
the  reasons: 

1.  Its  geographical  location. 

2.  Its  climate. 

3.  Its  proximity  to  the  famous  mountain  resorts  of 
Western  North  Carolina. 

4.  Its  railroad  facilities. 

5.  Its  abundant  supply  of  cheap  hydro-electric  power. 

6.  Its  numerous  diversified  manufacturing  enter¬ 
prises  with  their  large  payrolls. 

7.  Its  commercial  opportunities. 

8.  Its  high  class  contented  citizenship  and  ideal  living 
conditions. 

9.  Its  ample  supply  of  native  white  labor  of  an  ex¬ 
ceptionally  intelligent  type. 

10.  Its  efficiently  managed  city  government. 

11.  Its  low  tax  rate. 

12.  Its  modern  fire  fighting  equipment  and  its  low 
fire  insurance  rate.  (The  lowest  in  the  state). 

13.  Its  religious,  educational  and  recreational  ad¬ 
vantages. 


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14.  Its  rich  agricultural  resources. 


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Hickory 


Has  an  urban  population  of  6,000. 

Has  a  suburban  population  of  6,500. 

Has  an  area  of  3%  square  miles. 

Has  42  miles  of  laid  out  streets,  15  miles  of  which 
are  paved  and  27  miles  of  paved  sidewalks. 

Has  50  manufacturing  establishments  with  an  invest¬ 
ed  capital  of  $7,255,000  and  an  annual  output  valued  at 
$10,125,000. 

More  than  2,500  workmen  find  employment  in  the 
manufacturing  plants  of  the  city,  drawing  an  annual 
payroll  of  $1,500,000. 

Has  112  retail  establishments  and  10  wholesale  houses. 


Is  located  on  the  Asheville  division  of  the  Southern 
Kailway  and  the  Carolina  and  North-Western  Railway. 

Has  an  assessed  valuation  within  the  city  proper  of 
$7,166,215. 

Has  a  total  tax  rate  of  only  $2.29  on  approximately 
50  per  cent  valuation. 

Has  one  national  and  two  state  banks  with  capital  and 
surplus  of  $535,000  and  assets  of  $2,891,000. 

Has  two  building  and  loan  associations  with  total 
assets  of  more  than  $1,250,000. 

Is  traversed  by  the  Central  Highway,  North  Carolina’s 
great  coast-to-mountain  road. 

Is  the  hub  of  a  network  of  splendid  county-maintained 
highways. 

Is  the  trading  center  for  a  population  of  50,000  people. 

Has  ten  passenger  trains  daily. 

Has  abundance  of  exceptionally  high  class  labor. 

Has  18  churches. 

Has  10  schools  with  over  2,500  pupils. 

Has  a  Grade  “A”  College  with  more  than  300  students. 

Has  one  daily  and  one  semi-weekly  newspaper. 

Is  the  home  of  the  “Black  Horse”  troop  and  Head¬ 
quarters  Company,  N.  C.  N.  G. 

Has  three  theatres. 

Has  a  magnificent  municipal  building,  containing  ani 
auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  1,200,  in  which 
are  housed  all  the  city’s  activities. 

Is  the  largest  sash  cord  manufacturing  center  in  the* 

world. 

Has  one  of  the  largest  creameries  in  the  south. 

Is  the  largest  sweet  potato  market  in  the  state. 


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Catawba  County 

Has  an  area  of  408  square  miles. 

Has  a  population  of  35,000  of  whom  89.3  percent  are 
native  white  American  and  10.6  per  cent  negro. 

Has  one  square  mile  of  land  to  every  82.9  persons. 

Has  over  $1,000,000  invested  in  good  roads. 

Has  18  miles  of  hard  surface  roads  and  is  preparing 
to  hard  surface  20  additional  miles. 

Has  an  unusually  large  percentage  of  farms  operated 
by  owners. 

Has  110  manufacturing  establishments,  employing 
4,200  workers  with  annual  payroll  of  $2,875,000  and  yearly 
production  valued  at  $18,175,000. 

Has  13,500  primary  horsepower. 

Has  three  of  the  13  champion  Jersey  cows  in  the 
United  States. 

Has  one  of  the  largest  Jersey  breeding  farms  in  the 
south. 


Seven 


Hickory,  the  metropolis  of  Catawba  County,  is  con¬ 
tained  within  an  area  of  3!/4  square  miles,  and  has  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  6,000.  Including  the  adjoining  suburbs  of  West 
Hickory,  Longview,  Highland,  Windy  City,  and  Brookford, 
it  is  the  business  center  for  more  than  15,000  people.  The 
hub  of  a  splendid  state  and  county-maintained  system  of 
highways,  Hickory  draws  trade  from  a  rural  population 
of  fully  50,000  inhabitants  of  Catawba,  Caldwell,  Alex¬ 
ander  and  Burke  Counties. 

Settled  originally  by  “Pennsylvania  Dutch,”  noted  for 
their  habits  of  economy  and  thrift,  Hickory  is  peculiarly 
a  city  of  home-owners  having  an  unusually  large  per¬ 
centage  of  this  class  of  inhabitants  which  makes  up  a 
fine  type  of  citizenry.  To  this,  too,  is  largely  attributable 
the  fact  that  ninety  per  cent  of  the  capital  invested  in 
Hickory’s  50  diversified  manufacturing  enterprises  comes 
from  local  investors. 

Hickory  is  situated  in  the  central  western  section  of 
North  Carolina  on  the  Asheville  Division  of  the  Southern 
Railway,  90  miles  east  of  Asheville  and  58  miles  west 
of  Salisbury.  It  is  in  the  heart  of  what  is  termed  the  Pied¬ 
mont  section  of  the  state,  famed  alike  for  its  productive 
soil,  its  diversified  manufacturing  enterprises  and  its 
abundant  supply  of  hydro-electric  power  that  is  rapidly 
bringing  about  the  greatest  industrial  development  ever 
seen  in  the  South  and  that  is  turning  the  eyes  of  the 
entire  country  toward  this  section. 

Located  within  30  miles  of  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
Mountains  at  an  altitude  of  1,200  feet,  and  protected 
by  this  range,  its  winters  are  mild,  while  the  tempeied 
breezes  make  its  summers  cool  and  invigoi  ating.  From 
the  streets  of  Hickory  most  of  the  famous  peaks  of  West¬ 
ern  North  Carolina,  including  Table  Rock,  Grandfather 
and  Mount  Mitchell,  can  be  seen  lifting  their  heads  above 

the  clouds  in  the  “Land  of  the  Sky. 

The  city  is  provided  with  an  ample  supply  of  puie 
drinking  water  which  is  carried  through  a  system  of 
modern  filters  and  is  tested  frequently  for  any  trace  of 
contamination.  This  supply  will  soon  be  augmented  by  a 
gravity  system  from  a  source  to  be  selected  in  the  moun¬ 
tains  west  of  Hickory,  giving  the  city  a  supply  sufficient 
to  care  for  its  growth  for  many  years  to  come. 


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Due  to  its  pure  water,  its  high  altitude  and  its  mod¬ 
ern  health  department,  Hickory  is  peculiarly  free  from 
malaria,  typhoid  and  other  diseases  of  similar  type,  and  its 
health  record  compares  favorably  with  that  of  any  city 
in  the  country. 

Climate 

Situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  1,200  feet 
above  sea  level,  and  protected  from  extremes  of  tempera¬ 
ture  in  winter  and  summer  by  these  peaks  that  rise  thous¬ 
ands  of  feet  in  the  air,  Hickory  enjoys  a  year-round 
climate  that  is  unexcelled  anywhere.  Free  from  the  rigors 
of  northern  winters,  from  the  extreme  heat  of  the  sum¬ 
mers  farther  south  and  from  the  storms  of  the  middle 
western  plains,  this  section  offers  to  those  seeking  a 
change  of  location  an  ideal,  evenly  balanced  winter  and 
summer  climate.  The  average  annual  temperature  for 
the  past  ten  years  has  been  60.2  degrees  with  a  record 
of  more  than  300  days  of  sunshine  each  year.  The  sum¬ 
mer  nights  are  cooled  by  the  mountain  breezes,  the  tem¬ 
perature  frequently  ranging  20  degrees  lower  than  that 
of  mid-day. 

Mountain  Resorts 

Within  fifty  miles  of  Hickory  is  to  be  found  some  of 
the  grandest  mountain  scenery  in  America.  The  Blowing 
Rock  country  to  the  northwest  and  the  “Land  of  the  Sky” 
to  the  west,  offer  scenic  beauty  and  recreational  oppor¬ 
tunities  that  are  unsurpassed  on  the  American  continent. 
These  mountain  resorts  are  reached  from  Hickory,  either 
by  rail  or  by  automobile  over  some  of  the  finest  highways 
ever  constructed. 

Blowing  Rock,  forty  miles  to  the  northwest  of  Hick¬ 
ory,  rises  to  an  altitude  of  4,500  feet,  and  with  its  tine 
resort  hotels  and  cottages,  its  two  sporty  golt  courses 
and  other  attractions,  is  drawing  thousands  of  tourists 
each  year.  Most  of  the  46  mountain  peaks  in  Western 
North  Carolina  that  rise  to  a  height  of  over  6,000  feet, 
can  be  seen  from  the  mountain  drives  around  Blowing 
Rock.  This  popular  summer  recreational  center  is  reached 
directly  through  Hickory,  being  only  two  hours  distant 
by  automobile. 


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Directly  west,  forty  miles  distant,  lies  Lake  James 
(Bridgewater)  one  of  the  largest  artificial  lakes  in  the 
country,  covering  an  area  of  more  than  14,000  acres.  Built 
as  a  storage  basin  to  supply  water  during  the  summer 
months  to  the  power  plants  along  the  Catawba  River,  this 
magnificent  body  of  water  has  been  stocked  with  game 
fish  of  every  description,  and  offers  to  the  angler  an 
unsurpassed  opportunity  to  demonstrate  his  skill.  Lake 
James  is  reached  by  automobile  in  two  hours  over  the 
Central  Highway. 

Farther  west  on  this  wonderful  stretch  of  road  that 
traverses  North  Carolina  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Tenn¬ 
essee  line,  are  Black  Mountain,  Blue  Ridge,  Ridgecrest 
and  Swannanoa,  right  at  the  top  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
mountains,  where  the  various  church  denominations  have 
their  great  assembly  grounds. 

To  the  motorist  Hickory  offers  a  fine  base  for  week¬ 
end  trips  to  these  mountain  resorts. 

Railroad  Facilities 

Served  by  the  Southern  Railway  and  the  Carolina 
and  Northwestern  Railway,  Hickory  offers  every  facil¬ 
ity  to  both  passenger  and  freight  traffic.  Eight  passenger 
trains  on  the  Southern  Railway,  carrying  pullman  sleep¬ 
ers  direct  to  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Wash¬ 
ington,  Cincinnati  and  other  eastern  and  western  centers, 
and  two  on  the  Carolina  and  Northwestern  connecting  at 
Gastonia,  N.  C.,  and  Chester,  S.  C.,  with  the  Southern 
Railway,  provide  a  passenger  service  equal  to  any  in  the 

state. 

Hickory  is  within  twelve  hours  by  rail  from  Wash¬ 
ington,  eighteen  from  New  York  and  sixteen  from  Cin¬ 
cinnati. 

Through  freight  service  to  and  from  the  markets 
of  the  East  and  Middle  West  on  a  favorable  rate  basis 
make  Hickory  an  ideal  location  for  the  manufacturer 
seeking  an  outlet  for  his  product  or  the  merchant  buying 
his  stock  in  the  East. 

Adequate  sidings  and  switching  facilities  are  provided, 
for  manufacturing  plants  and  wholesale  houses. 


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Electric  Power 

The  streams  that  flow  through  the  valleys  provide 
hydro-electric  power  for  the  manufacturing  industries  of 
Hickory  and  this  section.  The  Catawba  river  alone  pro¬ 
vides  two  big  power  projects  within  eight  miles  of  Hickory 
capable  of  developing  60,000  horse-power,  and  18  miles 
down  the  stream  from  this  city  is  the  33,000  horse-power 
plant  at  Lookout  Shoals.  Farther  up-stream  are  additional 
sites  that  will  be  developed,  the  water  rights  and  abutting 
land  having  been  acquired  for  this  purpose. 

On  the  smaller  rivers  and  streams  within  a  radius 
of  15  miles  of  Hickory  are  eight  hydro-electric  plants, 
one  Hickory  manufacturing  concern  operating  three  of 
these.  Electricity  has  replaced  coal  in  practically  all 

of  the  industries  of  this  section. 

Power  for  manufacturing  purposes  is  available  as  low 
as  .0125  per  kilowatt  hour;  for  domestic  purposes  at  .03 
cents  per  kilowatt  hour  and  for  lighting  at  .09  cents  per 
kilowatt  hour.  It  is  provided  in  abundance  for  both  manu¬ 
facturing  and  household  purposes. 

Manufacturing 

More  than  $7,000,000  is  invested  in  the  50  diver¬ 
sified  manufacturing  plants  of  Hickory  and  the  val¬ 
ue  of  the  annual  output  is  in  excess  of  $10,000,000. 

Twenty-five  hundred  persons  find  employment  in  these 
plants  and  over  $1,250,000  is  paid  out  in  wages  each  year. 
Nearly  one  hundred  different  articles  are  manufactured 
in  these  plants.  The  products  include  Auto  Seats  and 
Tops,  Auto  Parts,  Wooden  Boxes  and  Box  Shooks,  Metal 
Boats,  Brick,  Brooms,  Brass,  Bronze  and  Iron  Castings, 
Building  Material  of  all  kinds,  Butter  and  Creamery 

Products,  Canning  Outfits,  Chairs,  Cigars,  Soaps  and 
Cleansing  Products,  Cotton  Mill  Supplies,  Wooden  Crates, 
Dehydrators,  School  Desks,  Flour  and  Meal,  Dining  Room 
Suits,  Fabricated  Houses,  Hosiery,  Juvenile  and  Kinder¬ 
garten  Furniture,  Harness  and  Leather,  Nursery  Products, 
Lumber,  Interior  Mill  Work,  Monuments,  Office  Furniture, 
Overalls,  Paper  Boxes  and  Cartons,  Pumps,  Sash  Cord, 
Wooden  Toys,  Dining  Tables,  and  Wagons.  The  Textile 
plants  of  Hickory  produce  Carpet  Yarns,  Chambrays, 

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Cordage,  Corduroys,  Corset  and  Dobby  Cloth,  Cotton 

Yarns,  Curtain  Goods,  Moleskins,  Palm  Beach  Cloth  and 
Sateens. 

Ninety  per  cent  of  the  capital  invested  in  these  en¬ 
terprises  is  furnished  by  Hickory  investors  who  are  in¬ 
fluenced  by  the  fact  that  there  has  not  been  a  failure 
in  this  line  in  Hickory  in  thirty  years. 

A  list  of  the  corporations  will  be  found  on  the  last 
page  of  this  booklet.  They  will  gladly  furnish  information 
to  those  interested  in  their  products. 

Commercial  Opportunities 

Hickory  is  the  trading  center  for  50,000  people  living 
in  Catawba,  Caldwell,  Burke  and  Alexander  Counties. 

The  country  population,  which  is  95  percent  native 
white,  together  with  the  high  class  of  workers  in  the 
manufacturing  plants  in  the  city,  offers  an  unusually  at¬ 
tractive  field  for  the  retail  and  wholesale  merchant  look¬ 
ing  for  a  new  location.  One  hundred  and  twelve  retail 
and  ten  wholesale  houses  in  Hickory  find  it  a  profitable 
place  to  do  business.  While  the  growth  of  the  city  during 
the  past  ten  years  has  been  remarkable,  conservative 
business  men  feel  that  the  next  decade  will  witness  an 
even  greater  development. 

On  July  1  Hickory  will  become  a  first-class  postoffice, 
the  receipts  for  the  calendar  year  1922  having  been 
$44,189.85,  an  increase  of  20  percent  over  1921. 

The  growth  of  the  city  commercially  is  indicated  by 
a  comparison  of  the  postoffice  receipts.  In  1905  the  re¬ 
ceipts  were  $10,433.31;  in  1915  $21,334.54;  in  1920  $32,- 
091.52  and  in  1921  $36,881.80. 

While  the  building  record  for  1922  exceeded  that  of 
any  previous  year  by  many  thousands  of  dollars,  enough 
new  construction  is  already  projected  to  bring  the  total 
for  1923  to  more  than  double  that  of  last  year.  Among  the 
new  buildings  already  being  planned  are  a  New  Hotel,  an 
addition  to  the  present  Hotel  Huffry,  an  Armory,  a  New 
High  School,  several  buildings  at  Lenoir  College  and 
numerous  store  buildings  and  dwellings. 

Business  finds  hearty  cooperation  from  Hickory’s 
banks — one  national  and  two  state  institutions — whose 
capital  and  surplus  is  sufficient  to  take  care  of  the, 
demands  for  accommodations. 


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City  of  Home  Owners 

Hickory  is  a  city  of  home  owners,  seventy-five  per¬ 
cent  of  the  inhabitants  owning  their  property.  This  is  due 
in  a  large  measure  to  the  far-sighted  and  progressive 
policy  of  the  building  and  loan  associations  of  the  city 
whose  total  assets  run  well  over  a  million  dollars.  It  is 
a  population  with  a  “stake”  in  the  community — home¬ 
owning  and  home-loving  people.  This  fact,  coupled  with 
the  relatively  low  cost  of  living  and  high  wages  paid  to 
the  workers,  goes  to  make  up  an  unusually  contented  and 
happy  citizenry. 

With  its  unequalled  year-round  climate,  its  splendid 
spiritual,  intellectual  and  recreational  advantages,  its  un¬ 
usual  opportunities  for  social  intercourse  through  numer¬ 
ous  civic  organizations  and  a  fine  spirit  of  cooperation 
among  the  citizens  for  the  uplifting  of  the  Community, 
Hickory  is  an  ideal  place  in  which  to  live. 

Ample  Labor  Supply 

In  spite  of  the  remarkable  industrial  development  of 
the  past  decade,  there  is  still  an  ample  supply  of  skilled 
and  unskilled  labor  available  in  Hickory  to  take  care  of 
many  additional  manufacturing  enterprises.  These  work¬ 
ers  are  99  2-3  percent  native-born  Americans  of  an  un¬ 
usually  high  degree  of  intelligence,  the  majority  of  them 
having  been  born  and  reared  in  Catawba  and  adjacent 
counties.  The  spirit  of  cooperation  that  exists  between 
employer  and  employee  has  done  much  to  eliminate  labor 
troubles  and  strikes  are  unknown. 

Hundreds  of  workers  living  in  the  surrounding  coun¬ 
try  motor  back  and  forth  to  their  work  in  the  manufactur¬ 
ing  plants  of  the  city.  With  a  population  of  over  200,000  of 
this  type  of  people  to  draw  from  it  will  probably  be  many 
years  before  outside  labor  will  have  to  be  imported  to¬ 
man  the  manufacturing  plants  that  will  come  to  Hickory- 
in  the  future. 

Progressive  City  Government 

Hickory  was  first  chartered  as  a  corporate  town  in: 
1874.  This  charter  was  amended  in  1879  and  in  March 
1913  the  citizens  by  a  large  majority  adopted  what  is 


Twenty-one 


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known  as  the  City  Manager  form  of  government,  being  the 
second  city  in  the  United  States  to  adopt  this  plan. 

Since  the  adoption  of  this  charter,  under  the  direction 
of  the  City  Manager  and  the  supervision  of  the  mayor 
and  four  councilmen,  the  city  has  made  wonderful  progress 
in  the  development  of  its  natural  resources  and  beauties. 
The  city  government  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
efficient  in  North  Carolina.  Many  miles  of  paved  streets, 
water  mains  and  sewers  have  been  laid ;  a  modern  munici¬ 
pal  building,  in  which  are  housed  all  the  city’s  activities 
and  which  contains  an  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  1,200,  has  been  erected,  and  a  fire  department  organized 
equal  in  efficiency  to  any  in  the  state.  The  fire  department 
is  equipped  with  two  modern  motor  trucks  and  the  city  is 
now  installing  a  Gamewell  alarm  system.  As  a  result  of 
this  progressive  spirit  Hickory  enjoys  a  lower  fire  insur¬ 
ance  rate  than  any  other  city  in  the  state. 

In  keeping  with  its  far-sighted  policy  of  the  past, 
Hickory  has  recently  employed  engineers  to  investigate 
and  report  on  an  additional  source  of  water  supply  that 
will,  when  it  is  completed,  take  care  of  the  city’s  growth 
for  many  years  to  come.  Action  has  also  been  taken 
looking  to  the  employment  of  a  city  planning  engineer 
to  lay  out  a  plan  for  the  future  growth  of  the  city. 

In  spite  of  the  thousands  of  dollars  spent  during  the 
past  decade  for  municipal  improvements  and  educational 
facilities,  Hickory’s  tax  rate  is  only  §1.48  per  $100,  while 
the  County  rate  is  only  81  cents  on  a  basis  of  approxi¬ 
mately  50  per  cent  valuation.  North  Carolina  has  no 
property  tax,  the  state  government  being  financed  through 
other  forms  of  taxation. 

A  Church-Going  People 

The  citizens  of  Hickory  are  peculiarly  a  church-going 
people  and  handsome  edifices,  representing  almost  every 
denomination  in  the  South  have  been  erected  for  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  God.  Among  these  denominations  may  be  men¬ 
tioned  the  Baptist,  Episcopal,  Lutheran,  Methodist  Epis¬ 
copal,  South,  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States.  Through  capable  and  conscientious  minis¬ 
ters  and  modern,  well  equipped  Sunday  School  organiza¬ 
tions  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  city  is  well  taken  caie  of. 


Twenty-three 


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Educational  Advantages 

Hickory’s  graded  schools  stand  well  toward  the  top 
of  the  list  in  North  Carolina,  a  state  that  spent  $24,000,000 
during  1922  on  the  public  school  system,  and  the  Hickory 
High  School  is  on  the  accredited  list  of  Southern  As¬ 
sociation  of  High  Schools.  Graduates  from  the  city  schools 
are  received  into  any  college  or  university  in  the  South 
upon  certificate.  Through  a  recent  gift  Hickory  has  ac¬ 
quired  thirteen  acres  of  land  in  the  heart  of  the  city 
upon  which  during  the  ensuing  year  will  be  built  a  modern 
high  school  plant  to  cost  several  hundred  thousands  of 
dollars. 

Lenoir  College,  a  grade  A,  co-educational  institu¬ 
tion,  under  the  administration  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
is  located  in  Hickory.  Enrolled  at  Lenoir  during  the  present 
year  are  more  than  300  young  men  and  young  women 
from  all  over  the  United  States  and  several  foreign  coun¬ 
tries.  This  institution  with  an  endovment  of  over  $500,000, 
is  now  engaged  in  an  effort  to  increase  this  fund  to 
over  a  million  dollars  and  to  build  a  plant  worth  fully 
as  much.  Lenoir  College,  under  able  management  and 
provided  with  a  highly  trained  faculty,  affords  an  op¬ 
portunity  for  the  higher  education  of  the  youth  of  Hick¬ 
ory  and  the  South  at  a  remarkably  low  cost. 

Recreational  Facilities 

Lovers  of  golf  will  find  in  the  newly  constructed 
9-hole  links  of  the  Hickory  Country  Club,  which  will 
be  opened  during  the  summer  of  1923,  a  Donald  Ross 
course  that  will  test  their  mettle.  A  modern  club  house 
to  take  care  of  the  social  life  of  the  members,  is  now  un¬ 
der  construction. 

Autoists  will  find  the  splendid  state  and  county 
highways,  upon  which  over  a  million  dollars  have  been 
spent  during  the  past  year,  a  road  system  that  cannot 
be  excelled  anywhere  in  the  country.  Over  these  highways 
within  a  few  hours  ride  is  to  be  found  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  mountain  scenery  and  best  trout  and  bass  fishing 
in  the  United  States. 

The  organized  recreational  activities  of  the  city  ai  e 
under  the  supervision  of  a  director  of  Community  Ser- 

Twenty-five 


vice,  Inc.,  an  organization  that  has  won  universal  recog¬ 
nition  and  praise.  Playground  work,  music,  and  training 
of  local  recreational  leaders  have  received  a  tremendous 
stimulus  through  this  instrumentality. 

Civic  Organizations 

Among  the  civic  organizations  which  are  cooperat¬ 
ing  for  the  moral  and  intellectual,  as  well  as  the  physical 
upbuilding  of  Hickory  are  the  Rotary  Club,  the  Kiwanis 
Club,  the  Community  Club,  composed  of  over  300  pro¬ 
gressive  women ;  the  American  Legion,  the  Travelers  Pro¬ 
tective  Association  and  numerous  smaller  clubs  and  so¬ 
cieties. 

The  Hickory  Chamber  of  Commerce,  through  whose 
far-sighted  policy  this  booklet  is  made  possible,  is  com¬ 
posed  of  over  300  of  the  most  progressive  business  men 
to  be  found  in  any  city  in  the  United  States.  Any  worthy 
enterprise  that  offers  a  reasonable  chance  of  success,  de¬ 
siring  to  locate  in  this  section  will  find  a  hearty  cooper¬ 
ation  from  this  organization. 

Catawba  County 

With  an  area  of  408  square  miles  and  bisected  by 
several  large  streams,  including  Catawba  River  and  its 
tributaries,  Catawba  County  has  a  population,  according 
to  the  1920  census,  of  33,839.  Of  these  the  native  white 
form  89.3  per  cent,  of  the  whole,  the  negro  population 
10.6  per  cent,  and  the  foreign  one-tenth  of  one  per  cent. 
There  are  82.9  persons  to  the  square  mile. 

Settled  in  the  late  18th  century  by  a  high  type  of 
German  immigrants  who  obtained  their  land  grants  direct¬ 
ly  from  King  George  of  England,  the  county  is  noted  for 
the  thrift,  integrity  and  resourcefulness  of  its  people. 
The  rich  lands  of  the  river  valleys  are  devoted  to  the 
cultivation  of  food  crops,  while  the  red  uplands  of  the 
hills  afford  pasture  to  hundreds  of  fat  cattle;  produce 
sweet  potatoes  in  abundance,  and  yield  a  rich  return  in 
berries  and  fruits.  The  first  cooperative  sweet  potato 
growers’  association  in  the  South  was  organized  in  Ca¬ 
tawba  County  and  is  still  functioning.  Stimulated  by 
the  organization  of  the  Catawba  Creamery,  one  of  the 


Twenty-six 


largest  enterprises  of  the  kind  in  the  South,  dairying 
and  poultry  raising  have  become  two  of  the  most  im¬ 
portant  farm  activities  in  Catawba  County.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  annually  are  distributed  to  the  farm¬ 
ers  through  the  creamery,  which  buys  the  butterfat, 
converts  it  into  butter  and  ice  cream  and  distributes  these 
products  to  the  markets  of  the  country.  Through  this 
system  of  diversified  farming  the  Catawba  farmer  is  not 
dependent  upon  any  one  crop  and  this  has  brought  about 
a  condition  of  prosperity  seldom  equalled.  There  is  a  com¬ 
munity  of  interest  between  Hickory  and  the  county  that 
has  resulted  beneficially  to  both  sides  and  has  fostered  a 
spirit  of  cooperation  between  city  and  country. 

Catawba  County  has  expended  in  the  last  year  nearly 
a  million  dollars  for  good  roads  and  during  the  ensuing 
year  plans  to  spend  an  equal  sum.  Included  in  the  state 
and  county  systems  are  11  miles  of  bitulithic  already  com¬ 
pleted,  seven  miles  under  contract  and  20  miles  to  be 
contracted  during  1923.  Under  the  supervision  of  the 
County  Highway  Commission  every  road  in  the  County 
will  be  top  soiled  before  the  work  is  ended. 

Good  roads  throughout  the  County  are  supplemented 
by  rural  telephone  systems  and  rural  free  delivery,  mak¬ 
ing  communication  easy. 

In  the  past  two  years  Catawba  County  has  spent 
nearly  $500,000  on  public  school  buildings  and  plans  are 
already  made  to  expend  $300,000  in  1923.  When  this  pro¬ 
gram  is  completed  the  County  will  have  a  modern  school 
system  capable  of  taking  care  of  every  child  in  the  cities 
and  in  the  country. 

These  school  buildings  are  conveniently  located 
throughout  the  County  and  where  the  distance  is  too  great 
transportation  is  provided. 

Farm  land  in  Catawba  can  be  bought  for  from  $50 
to  $100  per  acre  and  due  to  its  fertility  and  nearness  to 
market  offers  an  ideal  location  for  farmers  desiring  to 
engage  in  trucking  and  dairying. 


The  Hickory  Chamber  of  Commerce  will  gladly  fur¬ 
nish  any  detailed  information  regarding  Hickory  or  Ca¬ 
tawba  County  upon  application. 


Twenty-Seven 


A.  S.  Abernethy  &  Sons — Harness. 

Best  Hosiery  Mills — Men’s  Hose. 

Brewer  Flour  Mills — Flour  and  Corn  Meal. 

Brookford  Cotton  Mills — Corduroys,  Scrims  and  Fancy  Fabrics. 

Coast  Brand  Overall  Co. — Overalls  for  Men  and  Boys. 

Carolina  Ornamental  Co. — Plastic  Composition  Carving. 

Catawba  Creamery  Co. — Creamery  Products. 

Del  Rico  Cigar  Company — Cigars. 

El  Flo  Supply  Co. — Cannery  Outfits  and  Supplies,  Pressure  Cook¬ 
ers  and  Dehydrators. 

Elliott  Knitting  Mills — Ladies’  Hose. 

Hickory  Cabinet  Company — Building  Accessories. 

Hickory  Chair  Manufacturing  Co. — Chairs. 

Hickory  Collar  Co. — Horse  Collars  and  Belt  Lacings. 

Hickory  Daily  Record — Afternoon. 

Hickory  Flour  Mills — Flour  and  Corn  Meal. 

Hickory  Foundry  &  Machine  Company — Iron  and  Brass  Castings. 
Hickory  Furniture  Company — Bedroom  Suits. 

Hickory  Harness  Company — Harness  and  Saddles. 

Hickory  Hosiery  Mills — Children’s,  Men’s  and  Misses’  Hose. 
Hickory  Ice  &  Coal  Company — Ice. 

Hickory  Marble  &  Granite  Co. — Monuments. 

Hickory  Manufacturing  Company — Sash,  Doors,  Interior  Work. 
Hickory  Novelty  Company — Cabinet  Work,  Doors,  Sash,  etc. 

Hickory  Spinning  Company — Yarns. 

Hickory  Overall  Company — Old  Hickory  Overalls  and  Shirts. 
Hickory  Paper  Box  Co. — Boxes  and  Cartons. 

Hickory  Roller  Cover  Company — Cotton  Mill  Rollers. 

Highland  Cordage  Company — Sash  Cord  and  Rope. 

J.  Henry  Hill — Confectioneries  and  Candies. 

Howard-Hickory  Company — Nursery  Products  and  Landscape  Gard-  * 
ening. 

Hutton  &  Bourbonnais  Company — Packing  Boxes,  Crates  and  Lum¬ 
ber. 

Hilton  Pottery  Company — Pottery. 

Horseford  Milling  Company — Flour  and  Corn  Meal. 

Ivey  Cotton  Mills — Fine  Sateens. 

Ivey  Manufacturing  Company — Picker  Sticks,  Lug  Straps,  Spools 
and  Skewers. 

Ingold  Hardware  Company — Sheet  Metal  Specialties. 

J.  A.  Lentz  Lumber  Company — Lumber  and  Building  Material. 
Latta-Martin  Pump  Company — Pumps. 

Link  Ice  &  Coal  Company — Ice. 

Martin  Furniture  Company — Dining  Room  Suits. 

Moss  Cabinet  Shop — Ready  Cut  Houses  and  Building  Material. 
Paragon  Manufacturing  Company — Automobile  Accessories. 
Piedmont  Foundry  &  Machine  Company — Moulders  and  Special 
Machinery. 

Piedmont  Wagon  Manufacturing  Co. — “Piedmont”  and  “Hickory” 
Farm  Wagons. 

L.  W.  Poovey  Brickyards — Brick. 

Real  Knitting  Mills — Hosiery. 

Savoy  Candy  Company — Confectionery  and  Fruits. 

A.  A.  Shuford  Mill  Co. — Fine  Yarns. 

James  C.  Shuford  Co. — Metal  Specialties. 

Southern  Desk  Company — School  Furniture. 

Southern  Toy  Company — Toys  and  Juvenile  Furniture. 

Times-Mercury — Semi-weekly. 

Yeager  Manufacturing  Company — Dining  Tables. 


Twenty-eight 


Printed  bi] 

Claq  Printing  Company 

Hickory,  N.  C. 


Photoqraphs  bi} 

A.  J,  Bradshaw 

Hickory,  N.  C. 


Engrauings  bi} 

Knoxuille  Enqrauinq  Company 

Knoxuille,  Term. 


' 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032235885 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 

THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


Form  No.  A-368.  Rev.  8/95 


